School Chooser

Birchwood Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy451 pupilsTamworthWarwickshire
School Chooser Score
87
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 77 to 93, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, April 2025
Reached the expected level at 1165%England 63%
Attendance96.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull451 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher21.7School workforce census

Birchwood Primary School is a converter academy in Tamworth for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 451 pupils, 31 more than it has places for. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 87 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Birchwood Avenue, Dordon, Tamworth, B78 1QU01827 892913birchwoodprimaryschool.comMr Neil Coleman headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 April 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

68 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1165%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level15%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 62%62%20172018: 74%74%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 72%72%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 65%65%2025
Since 2017: +3%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WarwickshireEngland
Pupils tested686668646263
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths65%71%72%67%74%62%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths15%12%18%8%11%17%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0106.0106.0103.0106.0104.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0106.0106.0105.0104.0104.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0108.0107.0108.0105.0105.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%80%78%69%81%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%79%87%86%81%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)87%83%82%89%90%76%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.8-1.7-1.2-2.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.1+0.2-0.9-1.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged60%46%67%57%42%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged66%77%73%68%82%64%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
60%66%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
56%74%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%15%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full453 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
108% full

The school is full, with 33 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Warwickshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll451Census January 2026
Places420107% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%59 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size32.214 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils64%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)13%£89,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls206 / 245
White British pupils91%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 5 pupils, for speech, language and communication.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Warwickshire with speech, language and communication provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 33.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (21), Moderate learning difficulty (20), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (12), language and communications needs (8), emotional and mental health (4), Specific learning difficulty (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll451453452451440443
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%13%14%13%13%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%4%4%3%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%12%13%10%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%3.8%3.7%5.2%2.9%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.1%3.1%4.5%2.6%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.7%0.6%0.7%0.3%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.8%4.8%4.5%12.3%5.2%4.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers20.8full-time equivalent, 30 people
Pupils per teacher21.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,366
Teachers who left in the year5%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,680England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£5,998England £7,587. Total £2.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,060England £3,405
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £325k, £718 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£144kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,680spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m9312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people22% lower than the England average
Typical house price£265,000North Warwickshire
Nearest bus stop80 mBirchwood Primary School, 12 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Dordon Primary SchoolAcademy700 m208Good 202412Compare
The Nethersole CofE AcademyAcademy1.0 miles221Report card 202634Compare
Three Peaks Primary AcademyAcademy1.4 miles411Good 202350Compare
Stoneydelph Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles252Good 202332Compare
Garden Village Primary AcademyFree school1.7 miles57Not inspectedCompare
Heathfields Infant AcademyAcademy1.9 miles199Not inspectedCompare
Wilnecote Junior AcademyAcademy1.9 miles302Requires improvement 20244Compare
Glascote AcademyAcademy1.9 miles275No overall grade 202534Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Birchwood Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats94%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 87 is 26 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 61 · highest 98100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 87 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 87% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 77 to 93. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 68 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.00
DfE progress measure; 68 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 395 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 68 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Birchwood Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Birchwood Primary School scores 87 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 77 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Birchwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Birchwood Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 1 April 2025.

How good are Birchwood Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 65% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 15% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Birchwood Primary School have?

451 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 107% full.

Is Birchwood Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 33 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Birchwood Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Birchwood Primary School?

The average class had 32.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 64% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Birchwood Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Birchwood Avenue, Dordon, Tamworth, B78 1QU
Telephone
01827 892913
Website
www.birchwoodprimaryschool.com
Headteacher
Mr Neil Coleman
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Community Academies Trust (17 schools)
Local authority
Warwickshire
Ward
Dordon
Constituency
North Warwickshire and Bedworth
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2012 (academy converter)
URN
138934 · LAESTAB 9372619 · UKPRN 10039391
Formerly
Birchwood Primary School

Where these figures come from